Festival season is on its way, and music lovers all over the country are preparing to pack their bags, pitch their tents, and escape their ordinary reality for a weekend of revelry and raging sound systems.

But for some of the less experienced festivalgoers, who are yet to fine-tune their festival skills, the allure of these weekend celebrations still hasn't hit home. Many view the events as muddy, wet, loud, uncivilized, and, overall, not worth it.

If that's your opinion on festivals, then the chances are that you're not doing them right. Follow this step-by-step guide, and soon you'll be fully equipped.

1. Don't Get Duped

Unfortunately, festivalgoers often fall at the first hurdle. Getting your hands on legitimate tickets can be a difficult process as official vendors often sell out quickly and force you to look for scalped tickets. What's more, websites used to sell fake tickets may also be collecting your credit card details and draining your bank account, to double the blow. To avoid having your festival dreams crushed before you even get there make sure you buy tickets from trustworthy sources. To avoid fans having to use dodgy sites, some online vendors, such as Ticketmaster, now have their resale section, so this is a great option. However if this isn't fruitful, and you’re forced to look elsewhere, it’s worth using a well-reviewed VPN when browsing unknown sites, to encrypt your information and protect yourself from these potentially malicious domains.

2. The Perfect Pitch

One you’ve successfully made it to the festival, it’s time to avoid the next rookie error. Far too often, punters will arrive on the grounds and drop their camping gear in the first place they find, only to spend the rest of the weekend complaining about how it’s too loud, it smells, and people keep urinating just a few feet away.

To avoid this situation, follow these few simple rules:

Aim to be far enough away from the main arena that you won’t be deafened, but close enough so the walk to nip back to your tent mid-set won’t be impossible.

Avoid walls! These inevitably become toilets at some point during the weekend.

Being right next to thoroughfares increases your likelihood of getting robbed. While these spots are ideal to find your tent, it's worth aiming to be a row or two back.

Stay far, far away from the toilet blocks – they will smell and it won’t be pretty.

Finally, chose somewhere you’ll be able to find in pitch black during the night. Landmarks such as flags or tall billboards are useful markers.

3. Know Your Community

Once you’ve found your perfect pitch, it’s time to get sociable. Sure, you might have come with a group of your best friends, but getting to know the people around you is sure to make it a festival to remember.

Not only does it mean you’ll get to know some potentially awesome, like-minded people, it also forms a minor community in your little camping ground. Many a festival morning have I spent trading bacon for other essentials, such as torch batteries, with nearby campers – and it unquestionably transforms your experience.

4. Take It Easy

Especially if it's your first festival, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Late nights, beautiful lights, beer tents, and parties till sunset; in fact, it's almost a rite of passage to overdo it massively on your first time and spend most of the weekend dying in your tent.

However, if you don’t want to spend all Sunday hidden under shade, with noise cancellers in ears, waiting for the horror to be over, then all you have to do is simply take it easy. Just because the line-up doesn’t finish till 6 in the morning, doesn’t mean you have to stay up that late, and there’s no shame in the occasional midday nap. Look after yourself and you’re sure to make the most out of the weekend.

5. Go Solo

For those who festival with large groups of friends, organization can be a nightmare: you spend more time trying to find each other, or attempting to stick to a carefully planned schedule of all the bands you want to see, that you miss a massive part of the experience.

If you’re not up for trying the whole weekend alone, see what happens if you let yourself get separated for a while. It's likely you'll stumble over some exciting new music and make some new friends along the way. Just make sure you all know to meet back at the tent eventually, or sync up each other’s phones with the ‘Find My Friends’ app so you can be located in case of emergency.

6. Try New Things

Finally, but perhaps most importantly, to make the most out of your festival time, you have to throw caution to the wind and try things you wouldn't usually. Often, punters will come with a pre-conceived plan of all the bands they want to see, and won’t stray from that list.However, if you're willing to put down the lineup, and have a wander, you never know what you might uncover. There’s often exclusive late night DJ sets that you might stumble upon, or you could come across an early morning African drumming workshop that ends up being the highlight of your weekend. If you attack a festival with unfettered curiosity, then you're bound to have the time of your life!

So this summer, don't be afraid of the festivals. Use this guide and you'll learn to appreciate these summertime celebrations like never before. Do you have any more tips to help festivalgoers transform their experience? Be sure to leave a comment below and share your ideas with fellow music-lovers!

Cassie is an entertainment blogger who enjoys sharing all the tips and tricks she has picked up to make the most out of your festival or concert experience.

]]>Sun, 22 May 2016 18:49:58 GMThttp://www.teenviewmusic.com/concerts/rocklahoma-preview-vi-two-great-bands-for-you-to-check-outI’m here today to shine the spotlight on a few bands with amazing singers performing at Rocklahoma. Although there are a whole slew of incredible bands, I will be taking a look a two in particular: Five Hundredth Year and Citizen Zero.

Five Hundredth Year

Photo courtesy of EatSleepBreatheMusic.com

A great combination between Five Finger Death Punch and Breaking Benjamin, Five Hundredth Year is one of the Friday Axis Stage bands that makes getting to the venue early well worth your time. The band will be coming to Rocklahoma with an updated lineup, and I am looking forward to seeing what they have put together.

Watch the video for “Blame” and listen not only for his strong, powerful vocals but also for the musical talent of the band.

Another ear-catching song to listen to is “Stand Up,” which features a catchy guitar and drum opening. Pay attention to the skill of drummer Zach Hannus and the impeccable groove built by guitarists Ben Moss and Jonathan Immers and bassist Brenda Bennett.

Citizen Zero

Enjoy their newly released lyric video for “Go (Let Me Save You),” a beautiful rock song that mixes ballad style with driving rock, along with an awesome guitar solo.

Citizen Zero will be opening the Hard Rock Stage on Sunday, following in the footsteps of some amazing acts who have played that time before, including Young Guns, Sons of Texas and The Sword.

​Zoe Adler is a music journalist from Long Beach, California. Besides her website, which is her pride and joy, she works with the GRAMMY Foundation and the Long Beach Independent. Additionally, Ms. Adler is a musician, spending half of her time playing the flute, piccolo, trombone, and marching baritone. She has been with TeenView Music since the very start and hopes to make something of it in the future.

Deep. Dark. Haunting. These are the first words that come to mind when you listen to Octave Jaw’s self-titled album. Octave Jaw is another great example of the fantastic music that Oklahoma has to offer. Sure, there are top bands from around the world visiting Pryor, Oklahoma, next week, but there is some serious talent right there in state. This is clearly evident in the following video for their single “Light.”

Hailing from Southern Oklahoma, Octave Jaw is made up of vocalist Larry Carter, guitarist Jeremy Carter, bassist Greg Morgan and drummer KC Carlile. They are what I would call a combination of grunge and progressive rock, with the added twist of Carter’s expansive vocal abilities, which allow him to manipulate the mood and style effortlessly. The band makes the best of these talented vocals, having everything humming together like a finely-tuned jet engine. This band cranks it out in the song “Precursor” and can turn it completely on its head with “Novacaine.” This power ballad is stirring, powerful, and just plain beautiful. It is something you will not want to miss.

Octave Jaw's website describes them as being “dark, melodic and heavy, while often leaning towards progressive and borderline psychedelic.” I can hear it all. There are influences all over in their music. I hear Johnny Cash, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and so much more.

I listened to all nine songs on their album, and every one of them is excellent. There is not a one I would skip. And their small collection of videos is also entertaining. The video for “Never Free” is a disturbing, but powerful look at the human experience.

Octave Jaw is a band you need to see. The schedule is out, so circle their time and get out there. You will not be sorry.

Dan Adler was raised in Southern California to a mom and dad, one of whom appreciated Creedence and left wing anti-war politics. By the teenage years, Dan became obsessed with Black Sabbath, listening to the same seven albums repeatedly for 5 years. During this time, his favorite concert experience was seeing Metallica open for a bunch of bands that no longer exist and winning the 1st ever Santa Cruz Air Guitar contest. After several years in Africa listening and dancing to Chimurenga music, Dan returned to have the two best children in the world, one of whom spends a lot of time at concerts with him. What a lucky dad!

Rocklahoma stands apart from the other festivals because of its organization, food set up, and stage layout. But in addition to all the logistics they have nailed to a tee, they also take the prize with the fantastic show they host before the festival even begins. The Axis Stage is the site of an incredible collection of bands on Thursday night, many hailing from nearby towns in Oklahoma. One of these bands had me addicted after the first song. Rocklahoma fans, may I introduce you to one hell-of-a-good reason to set out for Pryor a day early: Emperors and Elephants from Chicago, Illinois. Waste no time--bang your head!

Emperors and Elephants is the perfect example of why the promoters of Rocklahoma deserve the Nobel Prize for Finding Bands. I just don’t think that award exists (a shame, really). Although, you have to admit it would be a great scene up there in Norway: between the physicists and mathematicians stands a long-haired, tattooed rocker. Anyway, back to this fantastic band.

Emperors and Elephants released an AMAZING album back in 2014 called Devil in the Lake. Every song kicks ass. With a sound born in the grunge of the 1990’s and updated with some modern day metalcore, this band is one to be reckoned with. Add in vocalist Jesse Andrews' gripping voice and beautiful guitar licks, and I would say Devil in the Lake is a must-have album.

Although this first album should have made E & E a household name, they are hard at work on a second album that should be released by this summer. Guitarist Jeph Stiph says that from a song-writing perspective, they have "tried to mature and focus more on composition and melody." Of course, he explains, there are "still plenty of the elements of the first album." Despite a way variety of influences, Stiph pinpoints "industrial metal" as a serious contributor to their sound. From Rammstein to NIN, you can hear his love for melody a la Alice in Chains, as well as hard core shredding coming through on every tune.

While I usually like to suggest one or two songs to get you into a band, with Emperors and Elephants you can start with any song and you will be blown away.You owe it to yourself to spend some time listening to what this band has to offer. Follow this to their ReverbNation page. Stiph can't wait to perform at Rocklahoma, especially so he can "see guys from the road like Screaming for Silence and Shaman's Harvest," as well as Sixx A.M.

While there are many reasons over the years to get out to Pryor early, Emperors and Elephants is probably one of the best in the five years I have been a Rocklahoma attendee.

Emperors and Elephants is comprised of Jesse Andrews on vocals, Jeph Stiph on guitar, Jason Meudt on drums, and Ron “Stoppable” Vanders on bass

]]>Mon, 09 May 2016 02:39:54 GMThttp://www.teenviewmusic.com/concerts/rocklahoma-preview-iii-girl-powerFor this segment of ROK16 band previews, I will be reviewing bands with GIRL POWER (aka bands with female musicians).

Lovebettie

Alexandra Naples, the powerhouse vocalist of Lovebettie

Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Lovebettie's incredible musicians are the pioneers of "Swagger Rock," a soulful mixture of rock and pop topped off with (girl)powerful vocals from Alexandra Naples.

Not only is Lovebettie's music unique and exciting, but their live shows are unbeatable, full of energy and mood swings--they don't shy away from tear-wrenching ballads and show no fear when a serious rocker comes along.

Moxy and the Influence

Photo by Lyn Marie

According to their website, Southern California's all-girl, 80s-throwback-with-a-modern-twist quartet will "melt your face, but it will be a great and glorious death." Moxy and the Influence will be ready to gloriously melt your faces at Rocklahoma with their raw metal (girl)power, so you best be ready.

Drummer Alexey Damian Poblete, at just thirteen years old, is the youngest member of MXI, followed by seventeen-year-old Shea Hamilton on the bass, eighteen-year-old Moxy Anne on vocals, and twenty-year-old Sydney Ellen on lead guitar.

On May 15, the young and talented rockers will be releasing a four-song EP called The Best Revenge, which will be available on their website.

​Zoe Adler is a music journalist from Long Beach, California. Besides her website, which is her pride and joy, she works with the GRAMMY Foundation and the Long Beach Independent. Additionally, Ms. Adler is a musician, spending half of her time playing the flute, piccolo, trombone, and marching baritone. She has been with TeenView Music since the very start and hopes to make something of it in the future.

​Now I love Rocklahoma. I love the headliners. I love the scene. I love seeing the old friends every year. I love the focus on traditional heavy metal. I love the respect the organizers show to old-school rock-and-roll by signing bands that are in--or surely will be in--the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But I also love it when they go off beat and find something that does not fit with the heavy metal theme of the weekend.

​Whether it is Lovebettie or Nicnos, Rocklahoma organizers have a way of finding eclectic music that metalheads can really appreciate. Both of the aforementioned fantastic bands are back this year on the Axis stage, which will, as always in Pryor, cause tough decisions about whether to stay inside with the headliners or venture out to Axis with bands whose names are often unknown outside of their hometown.

Roots of Thought is another of those amazing Axis stage bands that should not be missed. Being Tulsa, Oklahoma, natives, they have appeared at Rocklahoma before, but for some reason I missed them in their last appearance. But that is certainly not going to happen this year. I will be up front.

Headed by talented vocalist Tazmen West and backed by guitarist Logan Meldrum, bassist Tyler Burke and drummer Gavin Wendlen, Roots of Thought is what I would call “Psychadelic Indie Rock.” I am not even sure that is a genre, but it definitely fits. There are Indie overtures, but when the music gets going there is definitely a 60’s psychadelia going on.

Nowhere is this truer than in the song “Lotus,” where West’s vocals shine and the guitars are allowed to dance around in your head freely. I am sitting, writing this in a tie-dye shirt, and feeling quite at home.

Another great song, “Diamond Mind” has a truly enjoyable video here:

​Roots of Thought serves up a much more traditional Indie sound in “I Think.”

​“Wake Up” offers Roots of Thought’s punk side. If you listen to the EP Parallel Mind you will get a sense of the diverse abilities of this group of talented musicians. I am really looking forward to enjoying their show at Rocklahoma. Along with The Grizzly Band, this is another local band you should put on your “must-see” list.

Dan Adler was raised in Southern California to a mom and dad, one of whom appreciated Creedence and left wing anti-war politics. By the teenage years, Dan became obsessed with Black Sabbath, listening to the same seven albums repeatedly for 5 years. During this time, his favorite concert experience was seeing Metallica open for a bunch of bands that no longer exist and winning the 1st ever Santa Cruz Air Guitar contest. After several years in Africa listening and dancing to Chimurenga music, Dan returned to have the two best children in the world, one of whom spends a lot of time at concerts with him. What a lucky dad!

Instead of starting from the last band on the list and working my way up as I did last year, this year I am picking bands at random, and of course, band names that stand out get all of the attention. Speaking of which, if you are bored today, check out this link.

Perhaps The Brady Bunch Lawnmower Massacre or People with Chairs up Their Noses aren’t playing, but The Grizzly Band has definitely caught my attention.

While The Grizzly Band earns its name straight from chords of vocalist Chad Grizzly, there is a lot more to like than just the unique growl of Grizzly. The band, from Austin, Texas, is inspired by Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash, and melds that with a more traditional southern rock sound.

​Of course once you are there, you’ll be staying to listen to the rest. Try “Hammer Down” and then the others.

But if you want to experience some serious variety, get down to some of their patented Whiskey Punk (their self-prescribed genre). Hit this song.

“Onward and Westward” is a groovy song and funny video. Here you can hear the influences of “The Man in Black,” and the videography is done solely on Chad Grizzly’s iPhone, and the results are hilarious.

​I just spent the past half hour just letting their music play, and it is fantastic. From hard rock, to Springsteen, to the honky-tonk of a band such as Nicnos, The Grizzly Band is something I will not miss at Rocklahoma 2016. You shouldn’t either.

Dan Adler

​Dan Adler was raised in Southern California to a mom and dad, one of whom appreciated Creedence and left wing anti-war politics. By the teenage years, Dan became obsessed with Black Sabbath, listening to the same seven albums repeatedly for 5 years. During this time, his favorite concert experience was seeing Metallica open for a bunch of bands that no longer exist and winning the 1st ever Santa Cruz Air Guitar contest. After several years in Africa listening and dancing to Chimurenga music, Dan returned to have the two best children in the world, one of whom spends a lot of time at concerts with him. What a lucky dad!

If there is one band playing at Aftershock this year that I am chomping at the bit to see it has to be Red Fang. This band is simply amazing and plays the type of music that hits me in the sweet spot and just keeps pounding away. Red Fang, from Portland Oregon, is four crazy guys with a combination of musical talent, an indescribable sense of humor and a unique imagination. Take fantastic rock and roll, awesome guitar solos and then perform them to the most entertaining videos in history, and you get an idea of what Red Fang has to offer. The best way to introduce yourself to Red Fang is through the following video, which I would say is perhaps the most entertaining video ever written.

Let me ask you, what would you do with a $5000 check that included the note; "Hey Guys, Don’t Blow It.” Please tell me you noticed the check came from the Madoff Bank. And 80-gallons of milk? I guess there are a lot of cows in Oregon. Red Fang has toured and visited Los Angeles a few times in the past couple of years, and every time work gets in the way. I guess my boss wants me to show up coherent the next morning. I sense a conspiracy.Since their videos are so hysterically funny, here are a couple more for you.

Watching and listening to Red Fang has me thinking about the two best live shows I have seen this year, Crobot and Karma To Burn. Red Fang seems to have put together a combination of the incredible guitarmanship of Karma to Burn with the funky exciting tunes of Crobot to create something that is a whole lot of fun. Red Fang was formed in 2005 and they have three albums out; Red Fang (2009), Murder the Mountains (2011) and Whales and Leeches (2013). All three are awesome. The quartet is made up of guitarists Bryan Giles and David Sullivan, bassist Aaron Beam and drummer John Sherman.

Red Fang; Four incredibly funny, talented and creative guys makes this band one-of-a-kind.

From their videos they seem to be a close-knit group of friends who have a great deal of fun making music. My sense is that their live shows are equally exciting. They are at the top of my “must see” list at Aftershock. But first, enjoy this:

For those of us who absolutely love this genre of music, Aftershock also has The Sword, which I would consider to be the gold standard of stoner metal music. The Sword has a new album coming out soon, and has released a couple of tunes, which I will cover in the next installment of Aftershock Preview 2015.

Dan Adler was raised in Southern California to a mom and dad, one of whom appreciated Creedence and left wing anti-war politics. By the teenage years, Dan became obsessed with Black Sabbath, listening to the same seven albums repeatedly for 5 years. During this time, his favorite concert experience was seeing Metallica open for a bunch of bands that no longer exist and winning the 1st ever Santa Cruz Air Guitar contest. After several years in Africa listening and dancing to Chimurenga music, Dan returned to have the two best children in the world, one of whom spends a lot of time at concerts with him. What a lucky dad!

]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2015 11:19:34 GMThttp://www.teenviewmusic.com/concerts/aftershock-preview-i-raveneyeBlues Metal Band RavenEye; A Band Not to Miss at Aftershock

﻿﻿If you are a rock and roll fan who loves blues guitar, then RavenEye is the Aftershock band for you. Listed as the first band to play on the opening day, RavenEye is a talented blues-metal outfit from from Milton Keynes, England. Led by successful blues guitarist Oli Brown, and including bassist Aaron Spiers and drummer Kev Hickman, RavenEye may be a new band, but they are anything but rookies to the music scene.﻿﻿

One listen to the title track of the new EP “Breaking Out” will show you just how great this band is. This is a band led by a 25 year old guitarist who brings in visions of Stevie Ray Vaughn and Kenny Wayne Shepard. The music is hard and heavy for us metal fans, but everything about it, the deep vocals, the epic guitar solos and the backing bass and drums tells you, this is music from the heart of a bluesman.

RavenEye’s first European tour was in support of another epic guitar god, Joe Satriani, and coming late this summer is RavenEye’s first trip to this side of the pond supporting Slash with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. Oli Brown belongs in the conversation with the great guitarists of modern music. The 5 song EP is a brilliant display of musical talent. This does not come out of nowhere, however, since there is a long library of incredible blues tunes Oli Brown put together over the past ten years of solo work. It is definitely worth your time to listen to some of this music as it shows just how far RavenEye can go with the talented musicians that make up the band. Watch a few minutes below of the young Oli Brown, and head out to the 2:30 mark "Manic Bloom." This guy is a blues virtuoso who is making his talents accessible to those of us who prefer metal.

If the order of the lineup on the website is representative of the order of the bands performing on Saturday, I can guarantee that I will be in that line early, as I will not want to miss a single chord of this outstanding new band. I only hope their set is long enough to give Oli Brown the opportunity to dazzle us with one of his skilled solos.

Dan Adler was raised in Southern California to a mom and dad, one of whom appreciated Creedence and left wing anti-war politics. By the teenage years, Dan became obsessed with Black Sabbath, listening to the same seven albums repeatedly for 5 years. During this time, his favorite concert experience was seeing Metallica open for a bunch of bands that no longer exist and winning the 1st ever Santa Cruz Air Guitar contest. After several years in Africa listening and dancing to Chimurenga music, Dan returned to have the two best children in the world, one of whom spends a lot of time at concerts with him. What a lucky dad!

California’s own Rocklahoma, Aftershock, is only a couple of months away, and it is a show you do not want to miss. The lineup, as is tradition with Aftershock, is absolutely incredible. With headliners like Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Faith No More and Deftones, there is star power extraordinaire. Aftershock is great at bringing in a variety of heavy music, and this year is no exception. For the metalcore fan there is Beartooth, Bring Me The Horizon, and Issues. For the stoner metal fan (myself), we have The Sword and Red Fang. For those of us who love the Seattle Sound and all it has spawned there are Seether and Stone Temple Pilots. And lastly, there is a plethora of outstanding, interesting and entertaining bands from a wide variety of genres, including Coheed and Cambria, Eagles of Death Metal and Hollywood Undead. Add to this list one of my favorite live bands ever, All That Remains, and Aftershock 2015 is going to deliver something just like last year; utter exhaustion that lasts weeks. Oh how I love festivals.

Looking back at last year’s Aftershock Concert, one is left with two overwhelming thoughts: what an unbelievable lineup, and, what an unfathomably hot day. Sacramento in the sun in September can either be a pleasant day with changing leaves and cool evenings, or it can be a furnace bordering on hell. Last year’s incredible heat seems to have spurred promoters to move the concert to a month later. Also, probably because of its popularity, the promoters have moved it out of town to a bigger, seemingly more inviting site. Add camping and an incredible lineup bordering on the unbelievable, and this year’s Aftershock event is set to be the best ever.

Last year’s Aftershock event had headliners like Rise Against, Rob Zombie, Seether, Five Finger Death Punch and other amazing bands and musicians. This year, likewise, is a great line-up. But also wonderful this year is the line-up of new musical groups and musicians. I've been checking them out on youtube, and it is obvious that Aftershock’s organizers put as much work into finding and inviting new musicians as it put into securing another great headlining lineup.

Aftershock 2014 introduced me to a number of great bands, none more spectacular than Dead Sara and Dig the Kid, both bands that have provided many nights of amazing live music in the past year. This year’s opening bands have an amazing amount of promise as well, and starting tomorrow, I will begin to introduce you to musicians you may not have heard of before who will be playing the Aftershock stages.

Dan Adler was raised in Southern California to a mom and dad, one of whom appreciated Creedence and left wing anti-war politics. By the teenage years, Dan became obsessed with Black Sabbath, listening to the same seven albums repeatedly for 5 years. During this time, his favorite concert experience was seeing Metallica open for a bunch of bands that no longer exist and winning the 1st ever Santa Cruz Air Guitar contest. After several years in Africa listening and dancing to Chimurenga music, Dan returned to have the two best children in the world, one of whom spends a lot of time at concerts with him. What a lucky dad!